We have been fortunate to have Christian Børke working with us this January. In this blog post he describes what it is like to be an intern in eSmart Systems.

What is it like being an intern at eSmart Systems?

As a MSc student at Norwegian School of Economics with a major in Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment, eSmart Systems was a natural place to apply for an internship.On my first day, I was instantly greeted by smiling faces and a lot of help to get into the swing of things. Working as an intern for a short period of four weeks can sometimes seem a bit chaotic, as there is a lot of information to read up on and concepts to grasp on a short notice. Thus, any help in settling in and understanding the business model and market early on is of great help. My internship period has been hectic, varied and very enjoyable so far!

How does a regular day look like?

Although no day is the same at eSmart, a regular day at the office for my internship period starts at around 9 am with a fresh cup of coffee and lasts to 5 pm. Typically, I either attend meetings with customers or other eSmarter´s, work with reports and presentations or solve other tasks that are of relevance to the business development part of the company.

What tasks have you been performing?

I have been working in the Business Development department close to the management group. My task is mainly creating value propositions that can be presented for customers of eSmart´s Connected Grid software. Furthermore, with the large industrial player Kongsberg Digital investing 100 million NOK in eSmart, I have been attending strategic meetings and workshops hosted by consulting firm McKinsey at Kongsberg´s offices in Trondheim twice, and also attended product demo’s at customers. This has helped me learn more about the business environment eSmart is currently in, but also future possibilities in other markets and niches.

In the two last weeks of my internship I will be concluding my work and learning experience by looking at three important areas that can provide value on the balance sheet for the customers through the use of Connected Grid. This will be presented through a report. Although four weeks is a short time to conclude with anything, scratching the surface of all the advantages Connected Grid gives customers is definitely possible!

What´s the most exciting thing about an internship at eSmart Systems?

Working in a fast paced and engaging environment with forward looking solutions and technologies every day is highly motivational. Combining my studies in the areas of renewable energy sources, electricity market design and sustainability from an economical perspective with the more technical aspects of digitalization and software products also provide insight to areas that aren´t normally discussed in lectures at school.

Any tips for students considering applying for an internship in eSmart Systems?

Jump right into it! As an intern at eSmart you are included in a great work environment from day one, are offered exciting tasks and responsibilities and get to work with something that actually has an environmental impact. That combination is not something you will get at many other companies.